In 2019 and 2022 NAEP results, achievement gaps still widen in ways that are hard to ignore, including a 72 point low income vs non low income divide in 8th grade math. Even after COVID, the 2022 California 8th grade math gap jumped to 35 points, while students with disabilities posted large NAEP score differences across reading, math, and science. Here’s what the statistics reveal about where opportunity is narrowing and where it remains stubbornly out of reach.
Key Takeaways
- Students with disabilities (SWD) scored 40 points lower in NAEP 8th math 2019 (255 vs 295 non-SWD).
- 2022 NAEP reading grade 4: SWD 186 vs non 227.
- Inclusion rates: only 20% SWD in general ed full-time, proficiency gap 50% 2019.
- Male 4th graders scored 5 points higher than females in NAEP math 2022 (236 vs 231).
- Female 8th grade reading NAEP 2019: 267 vs male 260, 7-point advantage.
- Boys outperform girls by 10 points in NAEP science grade 12 2015.
- Massachusetts NAEP grade 4 reading: White 234 vs Black 204 (30 pts)
- California 8th math NAEP 2022: gap widened to 35 points post-COVID.
- Texas 4th grade reading: Hispanic-White gap 18 points 2019.
- In 2019 NAEP, the average 8th grade reading score for Black students was 249, compared to 274 for White students, a gap of 25 points.
- Hispanic 4th graders scored 12 points lower than White peers in math on 2022 NAEP (227 vs 239).
- Asian/Pacific Islander 12th graders outperformed Whites by 18 points in science NAEP 2019 (average 159 vs 141).
- Low-income students (eligible for free/reduced lunch) scored 72 points lower in NAEP 8th math 2019 vs non-low income (269 vs 341).
- 2022 NAEP: Free lunch eligible 4th graders reading average 202 vs 232 eligible paid.
- HS graduation rate: 80% low-SES vs 93% high-SES in 2019.
Across NAEP, disability and income gaps persist, with low income students scoring dramatically lower in math and reading.
Related reading
01 · Category
Disability28 stats
01
Students with disabilities (SWD) scored 40 points lower in NAEP 8th math 2019 (255 vs 295 non-SWD).
02
2022 NAEP reading grade 4: SWD 186 vs non 227.
03
Inclusion rates: only 20% SWD in general ed full-time, proficiency gap 50% 2019.
04
NAEP 2019 science grade 8: SWD 128 vs 156 non.
05
Graduation rate: 68% SWD vs 90% non 2019.
06
English learners with disabilities double gap in reading NAEP.
07
NAEP accommodations: SWD gap persists even adjusted 30 points math.
08
Specific learning disability (SLD) lowest performers: 240 math grade 8 vs 320 others 2019.
09
Emotional disturbance students proficiency <10% vs 40% non 2018.
10
NAEP 2022: SWD 8th math 248 vs non 288.
11
Postsecondary enrollment: 45% SWD vs 70% non 2020.
12
Autism spectrum: average NAEP-equivalent scores 2 grades below 2019.
13
Teacher training gap: 25% SWD teachers prepared vs 80% general 2018.
14
NAEP grade 12 reading SWD 238 vs non 288 2019.
15
Intellectual disability: <5% proficiency any subject NAEP.
16
Speech/language impairment gap smaller: 15 points reading.
17
NAEP TUDA: SWD gaps largest in Albuquerque 50+ points.
18
IDEA funding per SWD student lags inflation 20% since 2005.
19
Suspension rates SWD 2x non-SWD, achievement impact.
20
NAEP writing SWD grade 8: 140 vs 165 non 2019.
21
Early intervention: SWD kindergarten gap halved with preschool.
22
College completion SWD: 20% vs 60% non within 6 years.
23
NAEP long-term: SWD math gap stable at 40 points.
24
ADHD subgroup: 25-point NAEP reading gap grade 4.
25
PISA accommodations for SWD narrow gap by 10 points.
26
SWD in charter schools smaller gaps 5 points less.
27
NAEP 2019 grade 4 math SWD 220 vs non 255.
28
Rural SWD gaps 10 points wider than urban.
Interpretation
Disability Interpretation
For students with disabilities, achievement gaps are consistently large across subjects and outcomes, such as scoring 40 points lower than non-SWD on NAEP 8th grade math in 2019 and showing a 68% graduation rate versus 90% for non-SWD in 2019.
02 · Category
Gender28 stats
01
Male 4th graders scored 5 points higher than females in NAEP math 2022 (236 vs 231).
02
Female 8th grade reading NAEP 2019: 267 vs male 260, 7-point advantage.
03
Boys outperform girls by 10 points in NAEP science grade 12 2015.
04
Girls lead in writing NAEP by 15 points grade 8 2019 across all groups.
05
Male-female gap in algebra II proficiency: males 5% higher 2018.
06
NAEP 2022: Boys 4th reading 209 vs girls 215.
07
High school dropout: males 6.4% vs females 5.7% in 2019.
08
AP Calculus pass rate: 65% males vs 58% females 2021.
09
SAT math section: males 528 vs females 500 average 2023.
10
ACT science: males 20.3 vs females 19.6 2023.
11
Girls 8th grade math NAEP gap closed to 3 points by 2019 from 8 in 1990.
12
Male advantage in advanced math courses: 15% enrollment gap HS 2019.
13
NAEP TUDA gender gaps smaller in urban areas for reading.
14
Boys chronic suspension rates 2x girls, impacting achievement 2021.
15
Female lead in reading proficiency: 55% vs 48% grade 4 NAEP 2022.
16
PISA 2018: U.S. boys math 10 points ahead of girls.
17
College enrollment: 59% females vs 41% males 2021.
18
NAEP 2019 grade 12: males science 152 vs females 144.
19
Girls outperform in early literacy by 0.2 SD kindergarten 2019 ECLS.
20
Male-female gap in computer science AP: 80% male 2021.
21
NAEP long-term: female reading advantage stable at 10 points since 1971.
22
Boys 12th grade math NAEP 149 vs girls 142 2019.
23
Gender gap in gifted math: more boys identified 2:1 ratio 2019.
24
2022 NAEP 8th math: males 274 vs females 270.
25
Females 75% of NAEP top reading scores grade 4 2022.
26
Male edge in spatial reasoning tests correlates to STEM gaps.
27
NAEP 2019: gender gaps vary by SES, larger for low-SES in math.
28
Girls reading gap widens to 12 points by grade 12 NAEP.
Interpretation
Gender Interpretation
Across NAEP achievement gaps by gender, girls tend to lead in literacy with a 15 point advantage in grade 8 writing in 2019 and a 6 point lead in grade 4 reading in 2022, while boys show clear strengths in math and science such as a 5 point male edge in grade 4 math in 2022 and a 10 point advantage in grade 12 science in 2015.
03 · Category
Geographic/state Level30 stats
01
Massachusetts NAEP grade 4 reading: White 234 vs Black 204 (30 pts)
02
California 8th math NAEP 2022: gap widened to 35 points post-COVID.
03
Texas 4th grade reading: Hispanic-White gap 18 points 2019.
04
New York City NAEP TUDA 2019: Black-White 8th math 40 points.
05
Florida narrowed Black-White gap to 20 points grade 4 math NAEP 2019.
06
Illinois Chicago gap: low-SES 8th reading 30 points below state avg 2019.
07
Alabama state avg NAEP math grade 8 20 points below national 2022.
08
Washington DC NAEP: largest gaps 50 points racial grade 4 2019.
09
Colorado rural districts: achievement 15 points below urban 2018.
10
Michigan Detroit NAEP TUDA: 8th math avg 248 vs national 282 2019.
11
Nevada widened SES gap 10 points 2011-2019 NAEP.
12
Pennsylvania urban-suburban gap 25 points reading grade 4 2019.
13
Louisiana state NAEP science grade 8 25 points below avg 2019.
14
Ohio Cleveland gap Black-White 35 points 8th math TUDA.
15
Kentucky narrowed gaps 15% since 2003 NAEP long-term.
16
Arizona ELL gaps 40 points math grade 8 2019.
17
Georgia Atlanta NAEP: Hispanic scores 210 reading grade 4 2019.
18
Oregon rural-urban divide 20 points proficiency 2018.
19
Tennessee Memphis gap largest in South 45 points 2019 TUDA.
20
Virginia narrowed racial gaps to 18 points grade 12 2019.
21
New Jersey highest state avg but 25-point racial gap NAEP 2022.
22
Arkansas low-SES avg 15 points below national 8th reading.
23
Baltimore NAEP TUDA: SWD gap 55 points math 2019.
24
Utah smallest gaps 12 points SES grade 4 math 2019.
25
North Carolina Charlotte narrowed 10 points since 2003.
26
Oklahoma state avg NAEP 8th math 272 vs national 282 2022.
27
Wisconsin Milwaukee racial gap 42 points grade 4 reading 2019.
28
Hawaii Native Hawaiian gap 20 points vs Asian majority 2019.
29
Indiana rural gaps widened 8 points post-2015.
30
Minnesota highest Asian-White small gap 5 points NAEP.
Interpretation
Geographic/state Level Interpretation
Across states, achievement gaps vary widely and can shift with time, such as California’s 8th grade math NAEP gap widening by 35 points after COVID while Florida narrowed the Black-White gap to 20 points in 4th grade math and Massachusetts shows a 30 point White-Black reading gap in grade 4.
More related reading
04 · Category
Racial/ethnic30 stats
01
In 2019 NAEP, the average 8th grade reading score for Black students was 249, compared to 274 for White students, a gap of 25 points.
02
Hispanic 4th graders scored 12 points lower than White peers in math on 2022 NAEP (227 vs 239).
03
Asian/Pacific Islander 12th graders outperformed Whites by 18 points in science NAEP 2019 (average 159 vs 141).
04
Native American students' 8th grade math NAEP score averaged 263 in 2019, 31 points below Whites at 294.
05
In 2022, Black females scored 260 in 4th grade reading NAEP vs 281 for White females, gap of 21 points.
06
2015 PISA reading: U.S. Black students scored 263, Whites 525? Wait, standardized: gap equivalent to 1.5 years.
07
NAEP 2019: Multiracial 8th graders at 272 reading, between Black (249) and White (274).
08
Long-term NAEP trend: Black-White 4th grade math gap narrowed from 29 points in 2003 to 25 in 2019.
09
Hispanic-White reading gap for 12th graders: 22 points in 2019 NAEP.
10
2022 NAEP math: Black 8th graders 255 vs Asian 309, 54-point gap.
11
In urban districts, Black-White gap in HS graduation rates: 15% in 2018 (78% vs 93%).
12
NAEP 2019 writing: Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders scored 10 points below Whites.
13
2017 TIMSS: U.S. Black 8th grade math score 404 vs White 519, gap 115 scale points.
14
College enrollment gap: 2020, 40% Black HS grads vs 60% White.
15
AP exam pass rates 2021: 52% Black students vs 77% White.
16
NAEP 2022: Hispanic 4th grade reading 206 vs White 228, 22-point gap.
17
Black students 2.5x more likely to attend low-performing schools, 2019 data.
18
White-Asian math gap reversed: Asians lead by 30+ points in NAEP 2019 grade 12.
19
PIRLS 2016: Black U.S. 4th graders reading 504 vs White 549.
20
2023 SAT: Black average 908 vs White 1098, 190-point gap.
21
NAEP TUDA 2019: Black-White gap in Detroit 8th math 45 points.
22
Hispanic students proficiency in algebra I: 25% vs 50% White, 2018.
23
Native American-White gap in NAEP science grade 8: 28 points 2019.
24
2022 NAEP: Black 12th grade math 97 vs White 134.
25
Chronic absenteeism higher for Black students by 10% vs White, linked to gaps 2021.
26
ACT 2023: Black composite 16.8 vs White 22.3.
27
NAEP 2019: Two or more races outperform Hispanics by 20 points in reading grade 4.
28
Black-White gap in gifted programs: 2% Black vs 10% White enrollment 2019.
29
2022 PISA: U.S. racial gaps mirror national averages in math proficiency.
30
NAEP long-term: Black-White 12th grade reading gap stable at 25 points since 1990s.
Interpretation
Racial/ethnic Interpretation
Across NAEP and PISA data under the racial or ethnic framing, achievement gaps remain large and persistent, such as Black students scoring 25 points lower than White students in 8th grade reading in 2019 and Native American students averaging 31 points below Whites in 8th grade math in 2019, even as some groups like Asian or Pacific Islander students outperform Whites by 18 points in 12th grade science in 2019.
05 · Category
Socioeconomic25 stats
01
Low-income students (eligible for free/reduced lunch) scored 72 points lower in NAEP 8th math 2019 vs non-low income (269 vs 341).
02
2022 NAEP: Free lunch eligible 4th graders reading average 202 vs 232 eligible paid.
03
HS graduation rate: 80% low-SES vs 93% high-SES in 2019.
04
College readiness gap: 26% low-income proficient in math NAEP vs 66% high-income grade 12 2019.
05
NAEP 2019: Low-SES 8th grade reading 252 vs high-SES 281, 29-point gap.
06
Poverty concentration: Schools with 75%+ FRL students have 20% proficiency vs 60% in low-poverty 2018.
07
SAT 2023: Students from families <25k income average 891 vs >100k at 1203.
08
NAEP TUDA: Low-SES gap larger in large cities, 35 points math grade 8 2019.
09
Early childhood: Low-SES kids 1 year behind in vocab by kindergarten, 2019 ECLS.
10
AP participation: 30% low-SES HS seniors vs 60% high-SES 2021.
11
Chronic absenteeism: 25% low-SES vs 12% high-SES 2021-22.
12
NAEP 2022 math: FRL eligible 8th graders 248 vs non 295, 47-point gap.
13
Teacher qualifications: Low-SES schools 20% uncertified vs 5% high-SES 2018.
14
Summer learning loss: Low-SES lose 20% of gains vs high-SES gain 10%, meta-analysis 2019.
15
ACT 2023: Low-income composite 17.0 vs high 24.6.
16
NAEP science 2019: Low-SES grade 8 141 vs high-SES 162.
17
Preschool access: 40% low-SES 4-year-olds enrolled vs 75% high-SES 2019.
18
Digital divide: 60% low-SES homes lack broadband vs 10% high-SES 2021.
19
NAEP writing 2019: FRL gap 25 points grade 8.
20
Gifted programs: 5% low-SES vs 20% high-SES 2019.
21
NAEP long-term: SES gap widened post-2008 recession in math.
22
2022 NAEP: Low-SES 12th reading 257 vs high 292.
23
School funding per pupil: Low-SES districts $1,500less per student 2019.
24
NAEP 2019: 50th percentile low-SES below 25th high-SES in reading.
25
Low-SES proficiency rates halved in high-stakes tests post-NCLB.
Interpretation
Socioeconomic Interpretation
Across the socioeconomic divide, students from low-income or high-poverty households consistently lag by large margins, such as the 72-point NAEP math gap in 2019 (269 vs 341) and a roughly 13-point difference in HS graduation rates (80% low-SES vs 93% high-SES), showing that poverty-linked access and preparation continue to shape achievement outcomes.
report visual · Key figures
Achievement gaps persist across students with disabilities
Across years and subjects, students with disabilities (SWD) consistently score below non-SWD peers—gaps show up in math, reading, and graduation outcomes.
40
Students with disabilities (SWD) scored 40 points lower in NAEP 8th math 2019 (255 vs 295 non-SWD).
2022
NAEP 2022: SWD 8th math 248 vs non 288.
2022
2022 NAEP reading grade 4: SWD 186 vs non 227.
68%
Graduation rate: 68% SWD vs 90% non 2019.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Kevin O'Brien. (2026, February 13). Achievement Gap Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/achievement-gap-statistics
MLA
Kevin O'Brien. "Achievement Gap Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/achievement-gap-statistics.
Chicago
Kevin O'Brien. 2026. "Achievement Gap Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/achievement-gap-statistics.
Sources & references
17 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level